Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Ames National Co. (NASDAQ:ATLO) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 68,900 shares, an increase of 38.6% from the December 31st total of 49,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 21,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Ames National Price Performance

NASDAQ ATLO traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $18.13. The stock had a trading volume of 13,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,418. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $16.98 and its 200 day moving average is $17.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $162.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.90 and a beta of 0.56. Ames National has a twelve month low of $15.69 and a twelve month high of $22.19.

Ames National (NASDAQ:ATLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter. Ames National had a net margin of 11.05% and a return on equity of 5.94%.

Ames National Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. Ames National’s payout ratio is currently 70.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ames National

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ames National by 2.4% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 204,642 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,731,000 after acquiring an additional 4,843 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Ames National by 0.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 123,550 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,252,000 after buying an additional 1,069 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Ames National by 114.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 14,327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $261,000 after acquiring an additional 7,650 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Ames National by 299.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,418 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 8,557 shares in the last quarter. 26.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ames National Company Profile

Ames National Corporation operates as a multi-bank holding company that provides banking products and services primarily in Boone, Clarke, Hancock, Marshall, Polk, Story, and Union counties in central, north central, and south-central Iowa. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking and savings accounts; and time deposits, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit.